Police News October 21 - 28, 2013

Police said they went to Oakview Road, near Newtown High School, about 1:45 pm on October 23 after receiving a report about a ground fire in the area.

Police said they charged each of two youths under age 18 with reckless burning, and additionally charged one of the two youths with illegal possession of alcohol by a minor.

The youths reportedly had started a small fire near Oakview Road. Sandy Hook volunteer firefighters put out the blaze with an extinguisher.

Both youths were released from police custody and are scheduled to appear in Danbury Juvenile Court on November 4 to answer the charges. Because the people charged are under age 18, police did not disclose their identities.

Sex Charges

After learning that police held a warrant for his arrest, a 17-year-old boy went to the police station on October 23 and was charged with four sex offenses, police said.

Police report they charged the boy with two counts of second-degree sexual assault and two counts of impairing the morals of a child.

The charges stem from an investigation that police conducted following a complaint that they received on December 10, 2012.

After arrest processing, police released the boy for a November 4 appearance in Danbury Juvenile Court to answer the charges. Because the boy is under age 18, police did not disclose his identity.

Shoplifting

Police report that at about 10:38 am on October 23, they received a call from the TJ Maxx store at Sand Hill Plaza at 228 South Main Street, alerting them that store security staff had apprehended an alleged shoplifter in the store.

Police said their investigation showed that Hugo Veira, 49, of Danbury had removed a security tag from an $80 piece of merchandise and was leaving the store with that merchandise without paying for it when he was stopped by store staff.

Veira was charged with sixth-degree larceny. He was released on $500 bail for a November 6 court appearance.

Camping

On October 23, police encountered a man who was camping off Edmond Road, so they investigated.

Newtown police said they learned that the man, Joshua Robbins, 31, who is homeless, was wanted on a warrant by Bridgeport police, so they took him into custody.

The warrant lists a charge of violation of probation stemming from an initial charge of assault.

Robbins was later arraigned in court. He was being held on $10,000 bail at the Bridgeport Correctional Center this week for a November 20 appearance in Bridgeport Superior Court on the violation of probation charge.

Rear-Ender

While traveling northward near 63 South Main Street about 5:30 pm on October 24, motorist Sarah Dapp, 33, of Southbury, who was driving a 2005 Honda Civic, stopped for traffic conditions and was then struck from behind by northbound motorist Lee Plutino, 49, of New Milford, who was driving a 2007 Toyota Camry, police said.

The Newtown Volunteer Ambulance Corps treated Dapp for pain at the accident scene, police said. Plutino received an infraction for following too closely, police said.

Evading Responsibility

Police report a two-vehicle accident about 10:15 pm on October 20 on Berkshire Road, near Bradley Lane, in which the driver who caused the crash left the scene of the accident.

Police described the vehicle that left the scene as a late 1990s or early 2000s silver Honda, possibly a Civic. Police described the driver of the Honda as a white man in his mid-20s with dark hair and a beard.

As a result of the impact, the missing Honda would have a broken headlamp and frontal damage on the passenger side. The Honda would be missing a section of its front bumper on the passenger side.

Officer Matthew Pirhala, who is investigating, asks anyone with knowledge of the offending driver to contact him at the police station at 203-426-5841.

Moving Violations

Police report that while on patrol about 9 pm on October 21, they spotted motorist Gregory Kolliopoulos, 49, of 53 Hanover Road driving a vehicle which did not have its headlamps illuminated, so they stopped him to investigate.

Police said they charged Kolliopoulos with driving without headlamps illuminated, driving with a suspended vehicle registration, and driving without automotive insurance.

After processing, Kolliopoulos was released on $1,500 bail for a November 5 court appearance.

Brookfield Man

On the afternoon on October 23, police were called to the TJ Maxx store at Sand Hill Plaza at 228 South Main Street by store security staff who told police that they had a shoplifter in custody.

Police said their investigation showed that Jason Minsu Kim, 23, of Brookfield had cut the prices tag and security tag from a $200 coat, after which he brought the coat to the customer service counter in order to “return” the item, claiming that it had been previously purchased at the store.

Police said they charged Kim with sixth-degree larceny. Kim was released on $50 bail for a November 6 court appearance.

South Main Street

Motorist Linda Abbett, 56, of Bridgewater was driving a 2007 Toyota RAV-4 SUV northward near 9 South Main Street about 10:15 pm on October 21, when a group of deer entered the roadway, police said. The SUV and a deer collided. Abbett was not injured. Police took no enforcement.

Pontiac Vs Pole

At about 6:20 pm on October 21, motorist William Mastro, 51, of 8 Farrell Road was driving a 1988 Pontiac Firebird coupe eastward on Old Hawleyville Road, west of its intersection with Farrell Road, when the auto went out of control, traveled off the road shoulder, struck a utility pole, and then went into a spin, police said.

Mastro was not injured. Police said he received an infraction for making a restricted turn.

Sandy Hook Crash

A two-car accident occurred on Berkshire Road at its intersection with Pole Bridge Road about 9:15 pm on October 25.

There were no injuries. Sabillon received a written warning for failure to drive a reasonable distance apart.

Ambulance Garage

At about 6:15 am on October 20, motorist William Barrett, 19, of West Haven, who was driving a 2004 Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck southward on Main Street, attempted to make a right turn into the parking lot for the Newtown Volunteer Ambulance Corps at 77 Main Street, but struck a lightpost there, police said.

Neither Barrett nor two passengers were injured. Police issued Barrett a written warning for making restricted turn.

SUV Off Road

Motorist Sarah Hart, 20, of Bethel was driving a 2004 Ford Escape SUV northward on Hattertown Road, near its intersection with Hundred Acres Road, about 4:13 pm on October 24, when the vehicle crossed onto the right road shoulder, struck a wooden post, entered a ditch, rolled over onto its driver’s side and then hit a stone wall, police said.

A two-vehicle accident occurred at the intersection of Main Street, Church Hill Road, and West Street about 9:20 am on October 28.

Police said motorist Jessica Widman, 43, of Middlebury, who was driving a 2011 BMW X-5 SUV westward on Church Hill Road, stopped at a stop sign and then proceeded into the intersection, striking a delivery van which was being driven southward on Main Street by Ronald Durkin, 43, of Danbury.

There were no injuries. Police said they issued Widman an infraction for failure to obey a stop sign.

Nighttime Accident

Police report that motorist Katelyn Skerry, 24, of Attleboro, Mass., was driving a 2002 Toyota Camry sedan on South Main Street, near Peck’s Lane, at about 9:34 pm on October 26, when a deer, which was hit by another vehicle, was thrown into the air and then collided with the Toyota.

The unidentified vehicle that initially collided with the deer, left the scene of the crash, police said.

Police report a collision involving two unoccupied vehicles that occurred about 6:39 pm on October 28 on South Main Street near its intersection with Ethan Allen Road.

Police said that they had stopped the unidentified driver of a 1993 Toyota Corolla sedan for motor vehicle violations, after which they called for a wrecker to tow away the Toyota, which is owned by a Danbury man.

Wrecker driver Greg Hanson, 49, of the Sugar Hill, LLC, drove a 1994 Chevrolet C-3500 wrecker to the scene, police said. As Hanson exited the wrecker’s cab, the wrecker rolled backwards and struck the front end of the Toyota, police said.

There were no injuries. Police took no enforcement.

Hattertown Crash

A one-vehicle accident happened about 11:43 pm on October 28 on Hattertown Road, south of its intersection with Castle Meadow Road, police report.

Police said motorist Susan Hersh, 55, of 7 Castle Lane was driving a 2008 Audi A-4 convertible northward on Hattertown Road when the auto went off the road and struck some trees and a rock pillar.

Ambulance volunteers transported Hersh to the hospital for treatment of injuries, police said. Police said they issued Hersh a written warning for failure to drive to the right.

Sugar Street

A two-vehicle accident occurred near 144 Sugar Street about 3:46 pm on October 27.

Police said that motorist Ashley Hart, 24, of Charlottesville, Va., who was driving a 2005 Toyota Corolla sedan, started to brake in order to make a turn into the driveway at 144 Sugar Street, but was struck from behind by motorist Joseph Devellis, 38, of Deerfield Drive, who was driving a 1994 Oldsmobile Cutlass sedan.

There were no injuries. Devellis received an infraction for failure to drive a reasonable distance apart, police said.

Evading Responsibility

Police are seeking a driver who caused a two-vehicle collision on a curve on Berkshire Road, just east of its intersection with Old Mill Road, about 10 am on October 24.

Police said that a Southbury woman was driving a 2005 Jeep Liberty SUV eastward on Berkshire Road, when a white vehicle, which was traveling westward there, went over the road’s centerline and sideswiped the Jeep. The white vehicle then drove away from the accident scene.

The Southbury woman was not injured. Police ask anyone with knowledge of the white vehicle’s driver to contact investigating Officer Robert Haas at the police station at 203-426-5841.

Attempted Theft

Police report that sometime overnight on October 30–31, someone entered Plymouth Hall at Fairfield Hills and attempted to steal some copper wiring from within. Police ask anyone with knowledge of the incident to contact them at the police station at 203-426-5841.